Seeing Change in Ourselves

In Revealing Change from  Angela Maiers, Speaker, Educator, Writer, Angela Maiers states,

“One of the fundamental beliefs in my work is about the need to notice others and to use specific language to show others that they matter to you. The midpoint of the year is the perfect time to notice something specific: change.”

I thought this was a great idea because I look at my goals on a monthly basis but sometimes it is good to reflect about the changes we see in ourselves.  It is easy to think negative thoughts about myself and sometimes I’m hard on myself about not doing as well as I want. Yet, I need to look at myself and see the positive changes. Even small changes should be celebrated. These positive feelings will help move me forward to more positive changes. Baby steps forward are just as good as giant leaps!

I think it is important to do this to myself in order to be a good role model for my students. If they see me always feeling that I’m not good enough than they may see themselves in the same light. I don’t think the negative feelings are as encouraging as positive feelings and they tend to make me regress rather than move forward.

I want my students to see how they can see positive changes in the same way and feel good about themselves.

For example:

I’m happy that my sock yarn blanket is progressing and getting bigger. I like to look at it and see the changes. I’ve been taking a photo each month so I can compare it to the previous month and see how it has grown.

I’m looking at how many days this year I’ve walked over 10,000 steps and I’m proud of myself. I see that I’ doing much better than I was doing this time last year. It is easier for me to do this because it seems like I’m reaching that goal easily and sometimes without even trying. Last year I had to make a concerted effort to do this.

I am more confident in the kitchen this year than I was last year. Last year I had to try a new recipe each month to make myself get out of my comfort zone. This year so far I’m more willing to try new recipes without doing it as a way of achieving a monthly goal.

Overall I see myself as more flexible. I’m usually a strict planner about traveling and not having tentative plans sometimes stress me out. Being more relaxed in travel plans last year taught me that I don’t have to plan everything down to the day and it still turns out fun. Now I have tentative plans for the destination but no real detailed plans when we get there.

How have you changed from last year to now?  Please share. If you have made small steps forward, please give yourself a pat on the back and be proud!

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